Every Portlander may be complaining about the rain this week, but the sun is just around the corner and it’s time to start making plans for summer activities. The Portland metro area is full of exciting opportunities for inexpensive, family-friendly fun, and summer brings out the best in the City of Roses. Check out these cool things to do in Portland when the temperature rises, whether you’re a Portland resident or just in town for a weekend.
1. Concerts and wild animals at the Oregon Zoo! Find out how the animals beat the heat by watching the elephants, lions, zebras, giraffes, and polar bears splash in the water and hunt for shade. When the sun goes down, be sure to check out a concert on the lawn at the Zoo’s famed amphitheater. This summer, the Oregon Zoo’s 32nd Annual Summer Concert Series features music greats Jewel, The B-52s, Jimmy Cliff, Jamie Cullum, Cyndi Lauper, and the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Also, be sure to catch Garrison Keillor and a Prairie Home Companion at the Zoo on August 28th!
2. Movies in the Park: Each summer, Portland Parks and Recreation sponsors the free Summer Movies in the Park series, bringing favorite family-friendly films, new and classic alike, to the lawns of Portland’s beautiful parks. Pack a picnic dinner and a blanket and enjoy the beauty of Portland summer while taking in a free movie. This season looks better than ever, and includes showings of Fantastic Mr. Fox, Twilight: New Moon, Star Trek, Avatar, Pretty in Pink, The Princess Bride, the Princess and the Frog and many, many more. Pre-movie entertainment begins at 6:30 and the movies start when it’s dark enough. Check out the full line-up here.
3. Portland Art Museum: This summer, the Portland Art Museum is throwing a season-long celebration of the art of drawing, including two new exhibits, “The Bible Illuminated: R. Crumb’s Book of Genesis” and “A Pioneering Collection: Master Drawings from the Crocker Art Museum.” Throughout the season, the museum will be hosting drawing workshops, classes, and lectures from some of Portland’s best illustrators and graphic artists. Plus, the museum is air conditioned!
4. Glowing Greens Mini-Golf: When the sun gets too much too handle, pop into Downtown Portland’s “premier Black light indoor 3D miniature golf course!” 18 holes of family-friendly fun, in the cool of an underground hideaway. Just look for the Skeleton Pirate on SW Taylor Street!
5. Browse the Stalls at the Portland Farmers’ Market: One of my favorite year-round activities in Portland is strolling through one of the many farmers’ markets in town, but the harvest is never more bountiful than in the summer time. The Portland Farmers’ Market hosts chef demonstrations, kids activities, live music, and some of the best food in town. Pick up some of the best peaches in the world, and be sure to talk to some farmers – they know the best of the best of Oregon produce, and love to share their knowledge.
